If you’re a Matildas fan you need to watch the Stan Original Documentary Trailblazers immediately.

It's hard to imagine an event in Australian history that galvanised the country quite like the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. 

Overnight it felt like the whole nation was pinning their hopes and dreams on the Matilda's success in the competition and we were there to support them all the way.

The new Stan Original Documentary Trailblazers, which is now streaming, tells the story of how the Australian women's football team grew from a group of women playing together in the 70s through to their epic rise in popularity in recent years on the world stage. 

What is the Stan Original Documentary Trailblazers about?

Trailblazers on Stan is a 38-minute documentary that serves as a love letter of sorts to the legacy of the Matildas.

Whether you've been a lifelong fan of the Aussie women's national team or you got on board the Tillies train in 2023, you'll be interested to see how far they've come over the years while watching Trailblazers. 

Trailblazers begins with some of the original members of the Matildas setting the scene for what it was like being a professional female athlete in the 70s and how they fought hard to even get a spot on the pitch. 

Coming up against misogyny and a system built around funding male sports, these literal trailblazers created the foundations for the Matildas when it probably would've been easier for them to just walk away.

Take a look at the trailer for the Stan Original Documentary Trailblazers, which is now streaming. 

In 1971 the worldwide ban on women playing football (which lasted a mind-blowing 50 years) ended and the Aussie women's national team rallied together to head off on an international tour. Players like Julie Dolan AM fought tooth and nail (with many losing their jobs as a result) to be taken seriously in the sport they loved.

By 1988 a pilot FIFA Women's World Cup took place — the Matildas were ready to show the world stage what they had. However, in order to play they each had to fork out $850 for the honour of representing their country. In 1991 the first official FIFA Women's World Cup took place and the Matildas proudly showed everyone what the team was made of.

Julie Dolan AM. Image: Stan.

Over the years the Matildas have continued to rise in both skill and recognition with particular highlights including the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2011 which saw 17-year-old wunderkind Sam Kerr make her FIFA Women's World Cup debut. 

Since then we've seen great changes to how women's football is perceived and respected with a 2015 strike leading to equal pay for both gendered national teams and the rise of an incredibly deep pool of talent. 

Players like Sam Kerr, Hayley Raso, Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler, Mackenzie Arnold, Katrina Gorry, and Mackenzie Arnold have all been poached by big international teams further cementing the wonderful talent we have in Australia. 

Sam Kerr. Image: Stan.

And then came the 2023 FIFA World Cup which was a watershed moment not only for the Matildas but for female sports in general. In Trailblazers the legacy of the Australian women's team comes to a crescendo at the FIFA Women's World Cup and believe me when I say it was impossible to watch this documentary and not tear up.

After an incredible competition that saw millions of viewers tune in to Matildas games, inspired a new generation of young girls to take up football and an impressive fourth position placing— the 2023 FIFA World Cup changed the course of history.

Trailblazers will leave you with a lump in your throat looking back at the gravity of the Matilda's legacy and how far they've come. But it will also fire you up to get excited about the Tillies upcoming competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics which will take place this coming July and can be streamed on Stan.

It's been a long journey but the Matildas are firmly on the main stage now and we can't wait to see what they do next.

The Stan Original Documentary Trailblazers is now streaming, only on Stan.

Feature Image: Stan.

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